Chapter 11: Home

A/N: I do not own Covert Affairs.

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Twenty four hours later, Annie was back in D.C., sitting in a hospital room next to Auggie, sleeping in a hospital bed. The doctor wanted to monitor him for 72 hours. He had a moderate concussion due to several blows to the head, a broken rib, slightly low blood cell reproduction due to lack of oxygen, and a bruised pride. But he was alive. He was home. He was safe. That was all Annie cared about.

She hadn't left his side since opening that box and finding him alive. She was consistently kicking herself mentally for allowing him to be taken from right out under her. Right there, she had been right there and she couldn't stop it. What if she had lost him? They had finally come back to eachother and were making excellent progress, not to mention the news she had yet to tell him, and she had almost allowed him to die on her watch. A tear trailed it's way down her cheek as she reached out and clasped his hand, unaware of the parallel this was to a situation Auggie had experienced with her a few years ago after she had been shot by Lena.

"Annie." Joan said softly from the doorway.

Annie turned to face her and quickly wiped at the tears on her face. "Joan."

"I hear he's going to be ok." Joan said as she slowly entered the room.

"Yeah, so they tell me." Annie stood to face Joan. Something had been bothering her ever since she had found Auggie and her head could focus on more than finding him. "Joan, I need to ask you something."

"Yes?"

Annie gestured to the hallway, she didn't want to wake Auggie. He needed his rest. Joan followed her out. Once they were a few doorways down from Auggie's room, Annie turned to face her again. "Did you know about Alexei Belenko?"

Joan sighed. She knew she would have to have this conversation with Annie, she had just hoped it would be later. "Yes, Annie, I did."

Annie's eyes grew wide with surprise, then narrowed in anger. "How... how could you send him out there like that barely two months after Belenko captured and tortured him? How could you send him down there knowing that Alexei would want him? HE ALMOST DIED JOAN!"

"I know, Annie. And please, trust me when I say, that was NOT the plan. Auggie's presence was merely supposed to pull Alexei out into the open. We knew of his existence and had unconfirmed reports of his whereabouts, but we needed to be sure. We were fairly sure that he would want Auggie. We deemed the risk necessary."

"NECESSARY? NECESSARY! Joan, what if he HAD died? What if when I had opened that box I would have found a corpse?"

Joan reached out to grasp Annie's shoulder but she pulled away. Sighing, Joan said, "It wasn't my call, Annie. I fought against it, actually. I didn't want him out there like a damn worm on a fish hook any more than you did. I was over ruled. If something worse had happened to him I don't think I could have lived with myself. He means a lot to me too, ya know."

Suddenly, Annie felt sick. Really sick. She was going to throw up. Ignoring Joan's last words, Annie darted for the bathroom down the hall. She had barely made it to the toilet and was currently emptying what little contents she had in her stomach into it when she heard the door open behind her. After a few minutes, when she was fairly certain she wouldn't get sick again, Annie stood, flushed and turned to see Joan standing behind her by the sink.

As she went to said sink to wash up, Joan said, "Have you told him yet?"

After washing her hands and gargling some water, Annie replied, "Told who what?"

"Auggie. That you're pregnant?"

Annie's cheeks flushed. "How... how did you?"

"C'mon Annie. Mack isn't even a year old. You don't think I recognize the signs of morning sickness when I see them?"

Annie simply nodded. "No, no I haven't had a chance to tell him yet. I found out while he was missing. I don't think this is the best time."

Joan came over to Annie and wrapped her arms around her. "Go see a doctor. Soon. Get confirmation. Talk to him about the risks involved with pregnancy and your heart condition. Then tell Auggie. But don't wait. Do it soon. And... you know I'm going to have to bench you until after the baby is born, don't you?" Joan leaned back and searched Annie's face.

"Yeah, I kind of figured. I understand, though. I promise. I won't fight it." Annie placed a hand on her stomach, protectively. "Joan, I REALLY want this baby. Auggie and I need something good in our lives besides work and eachother. And... and I already feel like I'm connected to it. I don't know. I can't explain it."

Smiling, Joan said, "I know exactly what you mean."

Before going back to Auggie's room, Annie stopped at the nurse's station. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, dear?" the middle aged nurse behind the desk replied.

"I... I suspect I may be pregnant. I was wondering if I could make an appointment to see a doctor and confirm the pregnancy?"

"Oh, well let's see here..." The nurse started clicking away at her computer. "Well, dear, it would appear you are in some luck. Dr. Patterson had a cancellation for 15 minutes from now if you would like to do it now?"

Annie was stunned. She had expected atleast a few days before she would have to face this. "Um, yeah, yeah."

The nurse smiled at Annie. "Don't be scared, dear. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. Here, have a few pamphlets and let me just get your name into the appointment book..."

"Um, Annie. Anne Walker."

Clicking away again, the nurse said, "Ok hun, you're all set. Now, just go on down to the 3rd floor, pre-natel, and take a right. It's the 3rd room on your left."

"Ok. Um, sorry, but does this hospital have my medical records on file? I can't remember."

"It would appear as such. Yes, yes. Oh, I see. Myocarditis?"

"Yeah."

"Well, dear, like I said, I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"Yeah, ok. Um, the man in room 512, I want to be there when he wakes up. If he wakes while I'm gone, would it be possible for someone to page me?"

"Certainly, dear. I'll make a note of it right here." She pointed at a sticky note pad sitting on the desk.

"Thank you so much." Annie said as she started down the hall towards to the elevators.

An hour later, after a rather invasive exam and blood work, Annie was waiting impatiently for the doctor to return. The door opened and he entered. "Miss Walker. I have your results here... oh yes. You are indeed pregnant. Now, I understand you have some concerns you wish to discuss with me?"

"Yes, I asked the nurse to pull my medical records for you. I have Myocarditis. I wasn't sure what that would mean for the baby."

Flipping through pages of her file, the doctor nodded. "Yes, I see that." He sat across from her on the stool every doctor's office seemed to have. "I'm going to be honest with you. For most people, it wouldn't really effect the pregnancy and most would have healed from the initial infection by now. But I see here it says you have some kind of high-stress job that you can't or won't take time off from?"

"Well, yes..." Annie started.

Dr. Patterson cut her off. "Miss Walker, if you want to keep this baby, you need to make this job, whatever it is, as least stressful as possible if you won't take time off. You do pose a risk for miscarriage if you have multiple attacks during pregnancy. Now, the drugs you are currently taking for your attacks are perfectly safe for the baby, so if you do have an attack do not hesitate to use them. However, anything you can do to reduce your stress level, and therefore your chance of an attack, please do so. You may want to reconsider a pace maker surgery as well. Since you have not healed from the initial infection yet, your heart has likely weakened. I can't know that for sure, you would need to do stress tests with your GP, but I suspect this is the case. These are my recommendations."

Annie nodded. "But, for now, everything is good, right?"

Dr. Patterson smiled. "Yes, all your levels are fine. It looks as if you might be about 5 or 6 weeks along. Sound about right?"

"Annie, are you sure you want to do this?"

Her voice came raspy with need. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

A low, guttural growl came from deep in Auggie's throat as he bent down and started kissing her neck, frantically...

She allowed her hands to roam his naked chest. His breathing became more shallow and labored with her ministrations. She felt his hands come down and grasp the swell of her bottom as she leaned in and kissed him, deeply.

"Jesus, woman," he said against her lips, "we're wearing too many clothes for what I need to be doing to you right now."...

That growl again escaped his lips and he flipped her over onto her back. Before she knew what was happening, he was entering her, slowly. Her legs came up and around him as his hips began a slow, soft rhythm...

Annie shook her head to clear it of the flashes of memory of her and Auggie's "reunion" and smiled. "Yeah, sounds right."

"Ok. Well, I hope you will heed my advice, Miss Walker. But for now, everything is fine." Dr. Patterson stood and held his hand out for her to shake.

She took his hand and shook it. "Thank you, doctor."

A few minutes later, Annie walked back into Auggie's hospital room. Just then, he turned his head and said, groggily, "Hey, Walker. Got any aspirin?" Even with his weariness, he still managed a smile at her.

She sat next to him and grasped his hand. "Hey yourself." Her voice was shaky.

Clasping her hand tightly, Auggie tried to sit up better. "Annie, I'm ok. I promise. Don't be upset. Please?"

A tear streaked it's way down her cheek. "I know. It's not that... not completely anyway..."

A curious look came across his face as he looked at her. "Then what is it?"

Annie sighed. Well, I guess it's now or never... "Auggie, we need to talk..."